Hi Everyone,
I hope you are all well and pain free. Well I had another small visit to the hospital! I had another terrible headache (by sky rocketing blood pressure). After another CT scan, the doctors thought a lumbar puncture was the best option just in case I had experienced a brain bleed. Well prasie the Lord I didn't and it was a gigantic shame that I did have the lumbar puncture as I suffered dreadful side affects form it. I had the worst headache I have ever experienced in my life and it lasted 118 hours (even worse than my artery break). I was amitted back into the hospital 4 nights later and they discovered that spinal fluid was leaking out of my spine causing the Lumbar headache. The word headache really suggests that I had a slight pain, O.M.G.....I physically could not stand up and even had to crawl on my hands and knees to the bathroom. I could not sit up straight for 4 days and honestly I really got to the point where I just wanted one of my wonderful friends and family to smoother me with a pillow. The sad thing was, is that I had rung the hospital after 2 days saying I was in great pain and the lady I spoke to just said the pain would pass with rest. Yesterday I was given a 'blood patch' which was 20 mls of my own blood injected into the hole in my spine to cause a clot. Within moments the pain had gone, it was a miracle. The Doctors affectionately called it 'Voodoo' and they just can't explain why this actually helps so quickly. I tell you what else gave me some relief and that was 'Diet Coke'. The caffine in the coke gave my brain the ability to produce spinal fluid quicker and for a while the relief was good!!!! So today I am myself again. I have a teeny bit of lower back pain and I am a bit stiff but I feel like 1 Billion dollars!!!!! I feel so blessed for my Mum for taking care for my son and all of my friends for their love, their prayers and support they gave me. Don't live with pain because you worry about not waiting the right amount of days for things to heal, get the support you need and listen to you own heart to know what feels right and what definitely feels wrong!
Take care of you!
Rowena X
P.S: Still waiting for my sons hospital appointment, will keep you posted!
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Thank you so much for this!!!!
ReplyDeleteRowena X
The after effects of the lumbar puncture sound absolutely horrendous. I am so sorry you experienced all this. Thank God for family and friends! I hope you get to get some rest, just because the headache has finally gone I don't doubt the stress of all this has taken its toll.
ReplyDeletePlease accept a gentle virtual hug from the UK.
I do hope your son's appointment comes through soon.
Thank you so much Achelois!!! The virtual hug was a fab idea. I hope you are well and happy!
ReplyDeleteRowena X
hi I am sitting or rather lying in a hospital bed (in Australia)at the moment. Trying to recover from my lumbar puncture experience about 10 days ago. I too couldnt get out of bed etc. I too felt like smothering myself and I too have had great family and friends look after my 2 little boys. However they are still holding off on the blood patch, am drinking coke and lying on my back. tomorrow I will request the patch and get this sorted. Thanks for your blog and update.
ReplyDeleteVicki - it has helped me out of a pretty dark place.
Hi Vicki,
ReplyDeleteI so hope they give you a blood patch as soon as possible, you poor thing. Keep drinking the coke and I will have my fingers crossed that within an hour of the blood patch you will feel so much better. Let me know how you get on.
Rowena X
You have described my experience to a T. I had a 'spinal' for minor foot surgery and had 4 days on my back not able to lift my head because of a blinding headache! The doctor told me I had just had surgery and to get over it! My daughter, a health professional, finally took me to A&E and it was diagnosed with dehydration and a few other things until a mid-wife worked out what the problem was. A blood patch rectified the problem quickly. At this stage I had not been diagnosed with joint hypermobility. Since being diagnosed 18 months ago, I recognise that it was my syndrome at work.
ReplyDelete